Improvement in cotton-cleaning machines



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

REUBEN H. SHOTYVELL, OFWEST POINT, MISSISSIPPI.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-CLEANING MACHINES.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 267,777, dated September1878; application led July 20, 1ere.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, REU'BEN H'. SHoTwELL, ofWest Point, in the county of' Clay and State of Mississippi,.haveinvented a new and valuable Improvement in Cotton Cleaning Machines; andvI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of' the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,and to the letters andl figures Yof reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a cross-sectional viewof my improved cotton-cleaner, taken through the line y y, Fig. 3. Fig.2 is a like view thereof, taken through the line x x, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 isahorizontal section of' the same; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of itsexterior. l

This invention has relation to improvements in means for cleaningseed-cotton before it is ginned and it consists in the construction andnovel arrangement of the case, formed in two sections or compartments,one for the beaters and the other for the suction-fan, said compartmentsbeing separated by the dust-fines, and, in connection with saidcompartments, the receiving and discharging openin gs of the case, thespiral cleaning-beaters having their opposite ends formed respectivelyto draw in and discharge the cotton, and the fan-blades arranged on thesame shaft with said beaters, all as hereinafter shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating this invention, the letter Adesignates the case or frame of my machine, which is designed to becompletely inclosed, with the exception of certain receiving anddischarging openings, to be hereinafter mentioned. This case is dividedinto two compartments by means of a partition, B, iu which is made thelarge opening or throat a of the fan-chamber, and which also forms onewall of the dust-flue (l, which is between the fan-chamber and thecleaningcompartment, and communicates with the latter by an opening, vb,leading into the dustspace D, in rear of and below thek separatingslatsc or wire-cloth screen, above which the beaters of the cleaning-shaftrotate.

E designates the top of the cleaning-chamber, which may be hin ged, andis usually made in ythe form of a tray, having at its end opposite thefan-chamber an opening, d, through l.which the seed-cotton lying in thetray is fed into the cleaning-compartment F at the end of the latter.The lower portion or iioor of the vcleaning-chamber is semi-cylindrical,being formed of slats or screen-work, the radius of curvature being justsufficient to allow free play to the beaters of 'the cleaning-shaft G,

which is arranged lengthwise of the machine, and is seated in suitablebearings in the walls thereof, as shown. These beaters H are attached tospokes or arms extending from extreme ends, under the feed-opening clofthe top, the beaters are formed with forward bends g, which serve thedouble purpose of sucking in a current of air at the supply-opening h,and

passing the seed-cotton quicklyforward from under the feed-opening d,and obviates the tendency of cotton under a beater all.V to fly out atthe feeding-aperture. t the other end of the cleaning-chamber, next thewall of the dustflue, is the discharge flue and opening K, through whichthe cotton is ejected. This flue in rear is flush or even with thescreen-wall of the chamber, but descends below it in front, while thescreen-wall is carried up in its semi-cylindrical form, forming a cutoif or chute, K, into and through which the cotton is thrown by thesquared ends l of the beaters, which overhang this chute and are bentforward, so as to be at right angles to the vdirection there-of.A Thisaction is importantin forcibly relieving the cleaning-chamber at itsinner end, and the operation is effectual whether the discharge-openin gbe in front or rear of the case.

Into the fan-compartment L, beyond the inner end of the cleaning-chamberand on the other side of the dust-fine, extends the shaft G, to whichlare attached the blades R of the exhaust-fan, whereby the dust andtrash are drawn from the under space, D, through the opening a, anddischarged below through the opening S. The upper portion, T, of thefancase may be made removable, as shown, for convenience in opening thisportion of the machine.

Besides the action of the exhaust-fan in drawing the dust and trash fromthe dustspace D, the rapid current of air produced by it through theair-supply aperture at the end of the cleaning-compartment along andparallel with the shaft assists materially in effecting the conductionof the cotton from the feed to the discharge end of said compartment. Italso serves to force the dust and trash through and out of thedischarge-hole S, and a ue which may be connected therewith, to asucient distance from the gin-house or building to prevent these mattersfrom being offensive to the operators, as well as from settling backupon the cotton in the house.

The operation of this device is as follows: The cotton is fed from thetray-lid through the feed-opening at the end thereof, and is quicklyremoved from under said opening by the bent ends of the beater-blades,being carried forward into the cleaning-chamber by said blades and theair-draft along the central shaft. The dust and trash are beaten outthrough the ribs into the under chamber, whence they are drawn by thefan through the vertical ue into the fan-case and discharged forcibly.The cotton in thc cleaning-chamber is whirled to the end thereof andejected, by the action of the ends of the beaters, through thedischarge-line. It will thus appear that the action of the beaters onone end of the shaft in this machine is made more efiicient by that ofthe suction-fan on the other end of said shaft, the intervening verticalflue between the two chambers serving as a means of communication.

IVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a cotton-cleaning machine, the spiralblade beater, having its endsbent forward respectively, the outer end to clear the feedopenin g andthe inner end to effect a forcible discharge, substantially asspecified.

2. In a cotton-cleaning machine, the combination of the casing havingend openings h, the spiral beater-blades H, having their ends bentforward, as described, and the fan-blades R, substantially as specified.

3. In a cotton-cleaning machine, the combination, with the open-endedcase, the spiral beaters having forwardly-bent ends, suctionfan, andscreen dividin g the cleaning-chamber from the dust-space, of theintermediate dustiiue leading from said dust-space into the case of saidsuction-fan, substantially as specified.

4. A cotton-cleaning machine having the open-ended case, thesuction-fan, and spiral beater having forwardly-bent ends in oppositeends of the case, the dividing-screen c, dustlue C, air-entrance h, anddischarging-apertures K and S, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

REUBEN H. SHOTWELL.

Witnesses:

J No. A. Onnornnns, JN0. A. STEVENS.

